JetBlue Partnership: Azul Launches A New Caribbean Destination

On Wednesday, the Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas Aéreas (AD) announced it will offer a new destination in the Caribbean through its interline agreement with US JetBlue (B6). This latest destination is Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in the Bahamas and increasing Azul’s offer in this region to six destinations.

The newest destination

Azul and JetBlue have had an interline agreement for several years now. This partnership has allowed Azul to strengthen its international connectivity through Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) in Orlando to the Caribbean. Passengers arriving from Brazil to this US destination can continue their trip with JetBlue to several destinations across the Caribbean islands.

On Wednesday, Azul announced that it is reinforcing its partnership with JetBlue and now offers its customers one more destination: the Bahamas. With this, “Azul offers one more destination operated by the North American company within its airline network, making it easier for customers to leave Brazil and connect to Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, at the Fort Lauderdale airport on JetBlue flights,” said the company in a statement.

Photo: Azul.

Azul’s connectivity in the Caribbean

Last month, Azul announced it had added Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic as its fifth destination in the Caribbean through the JetBlue partnership. Now Azul offers flights to six Caribbean destinations. These are Cancun (CUN) in Mexico, San Juan (SJU) in Puerto Rico, Port-au-Prince (PAP) in Haiti, Aruba (AUA), Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and now Nassau in the Bahamas. André Mercadante, Director of Planning, Revenue Management, and Alliances at Azul, said,

“The Azul customer who intends to travel to the Bahamas, enjoying not only the natural beauty of the islands but also all the Azul experience that he already knows in our domestic and international flights, and with a fast connection in Fort Lauderdale, has the option to make the purchase until his final destination in our channels.”

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

What other destinations could JetBlue offer?

From Fort Lauderdale, JetBlue offers 113 weekly flights to nine destinations in the Caribbean (including Cancun) with its Airbus A320 family fleet. That means JetBlue and Azul could increase their partnership by adding three additional destinations, although there’s currently no indication that will happen.

This is JetBlue’s route map from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean:

1. Aruba, three weekly flights.
2. Cancun, two daily flights.
3. Havana, 19 flights per week, three daily services except on Saturday (this flight was recently approved by the DOT). It could be a new addition to the Azul partnership.
4. Kingston, two daily flights. It could be a new addition.
5. Montego Bay, ten flights per week. It could be a new addition.
6. Nassau, two daily flights.
7. Port-au-Prince, one daily flight.
8. Punta Cana, one daily flight.
9. San Juan, 25 weekly flights.

The Brazilian carrier currently operates 21 weekly flights to the United States. It has two destinations, Fort Lauderdale (with 14 weekly passenger services) and Orlando International Airport (MCO, with seven). Both routes are operated from Azul’s hub at São Paulo, Brazil’s Viracopos International Airport (VCP).

Are you excited about Azul and JetBlue’s newest addition in the Caribbean? Let us know in the comments below.